Cottage Cheese Creamy Pasta (Printable Format)

A creamy pasta dish with blended cottage cheese and whole wheat pasta for a protein boost.

# What's Needed:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz whole wheat or regular pasta (penne, fusilli, or choice)

→ Creamy Cottage Cheese Sauce

02 - 1 1/2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
03 - 1/2 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plant-based)
04 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 2 cloves garlic
06 - 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Vegetables (optional)

10 - 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
11 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves
13 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - Blend cottage cheese, milk, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes until smooth.
03 - Return pasta to pot over low heat. Add sauce and toss to coat, thinning with reserved pasta water as needed.
04 - Stir in spinach and cherry tomatoes if using. Cook for 1–2 minutes until spinach wilts and tomatoes soften.
05 - Plate immediately and garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Twenty-five minutes from hunger to a bowl that feels indulgent but actually fuels your body with real protein.
  • The sauce tastes creamy and restaurant-quality, which surprises everyone who thinks cottage cheese can't possibly work in pasta.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, which means dinner happens without a grocery run.
02 -
  • Don't skip blending completely; any graininess ruins the whole vibe and makes people suspicious of what they're eating.
  • Save that pasta water before you drain—without it, the sauce gets thick and clumpy, and no amount of tossing fixes it.
  • Season the sauce properly while the pasta's still hot, or it'll taste bland and sad once it cools slightly.
03 -
  • If you're cooking for someone skeptical about cottage cheese, don't tell them until after they've loved it; the psychology of food matters more than you'd think.
  • Use block Parmesan grated fresh instead of the shaker kind—the difference is real and worth the thirty seconds it takes.
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